Abstract/Description

CTA has decided to decentralise its long-established question and answer (Q&A) service to a number of regional centres. Preliminary consultations are underway in the Caribbean (CARDI for Trinidad and Tobago, and Jamaica and Saint Lucia) and East...

Notes

CTA has decided to decentralise its long-established question and answer (Q&A) service to a number of regional centres. Preliminary consultations are underway in the Caribbean (CARDI for Trinidad and Tobago, and Jamaica and Saint Lucia) and East Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda). Work has advanced further in southern Africa.
In southern Africa, a partnership was set up with a consortium led by three South African institutions: University of the Orange Free State (UOFS), Agricultural Research Council, and SABINET (South African Bibliographic and Information Network). SABINET was the crucible for the creation of the Q&A service, known as the Programme for Agricultural Information Services (PRAIS) in southern Africa.
A natural partner in CTA's decentralisation strategy, PRAIS provides a comprehensive service to agricultural institutions, NGOs, government organisations, trade and commercial bodies, and farmers' groups and associations in nine countries: Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
In its initial period, PRAIS actively extended its contacts in the region. The bimonthly newsletter Agri-Outreach now has a circulation of 1,500; it is also a main feature on the PRAIS website. Using the services of UOFS, the Website presents a SADC Agribase with more than 3,000 records on experts, and it provides links to other databases. PRAIS can also provide bibliographies, full text articles, referral services, and lists of resource organisations.
After early promotion activities and an extensive survey of user needs, a review of PRAIS' progress was held in November 1998. As a result, targeting of the nontraditional library-based user will be improved, and the database will be expanded to include agricultural development and gender issues. A training course on management of the Q&A service will be held later in 1999 for staff development.
If you are based in one of the nine countries mentioned above, please contact:
PRAIS
PO Box 301
Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa
Fax: +27 51 4483878
Email: agric@ubib.uovs.ac.za
Website: http://www.uovs.za/lib/agric/assa.asp
http://www.agricta.org/Spore/spore80